ACC
It was a difficult weekend for some of the marquee quarterbacks in the ACC.
Florida State's Christian Ponder threw a pair of touchdowns and three costly interceptions against Boston College, while Miami's Jacory Harris produced only meager numbers against Duke (17-of-34 for 224 yards and one touchdown), though he finally avoided committing a turnover. Russell Wilson had another big day for North Carolina State yardage-wise, but threw three interceptions as East Carolina shocked the Wolfpack in overtime.
Two ACC passers who had a big weekend were North Carolina's T.J. Yates and Virginia Tech's Tyrod Taylor.
Yates shredded Virginia for over 300 yards and three touchdowns on just 22 attempts as the Tar Heels took out some frustration on the Cavaliers. Taylor led the way for the Hokies again Saturday, completing 19-of-27 passes for 292 yards and accounting for four touchdowns.
Boston College's Montel Harris and Wake Forest's Josh Harris were the most impressive runners of the bunch. Harris rushed for 192 yards as Boston College gave the Seminoles all they could handle. Harris managed to outdo Harris' big numbers, totaling 20 carries for 241 yards and two touchdowns against Virginia Tech.
North Carolina's Dwight Jones had a huge game among the receivers, finishing with seven catches for 198 yards and two scores against Virginia. Virginia Tech's Jarrett Boykin also stood out, catching eight receptions and scoring his fifth touchdown for Virginia Tech.
Big 12
Landry Jones and Oklahoma's offense certainly didn't have any problems against Iowa State. Jones was nearly perfect Saturday night, completing 30-of-34 passes for 334 yards and three touchdowns.
But surprisingly, it was Kansas State's Carson Coffman who performed best among quarterbacks. Coffman scored a combined five touchdowns as the Wildcats annihilated Kansas, but don't expect him to do that in any of his upcoming games. With Coffman stealing the show, teammate Daniel Thomas had a modest game for the K-State, finishing with less than 100 yards rushing and scoring one touchdown.
Finally facing a strong defense, Nebraska's Taylor Martinez came back to earth in the loss to Texas before being pulled in the third quarter. Look for him to roll relatively easily through the rest of his remaining schedule, though.
Oklahoma's DeMarco Murray racked up 140 yards of total offense against Iowa State and scored three touchdowns, becoming Oklahoma's all-time leader in touchdowns from scrimmage.
Murray's teammate, wideout Ryan Broyles, was also brilliant against Iowa State. He caught 15 passes for 182 yards and a touchdown in the game, with 13 of those catches coming in the first half.
But it was once again Oklahoma State's Justin Blackmon who stole the show among the conference's receivers, as he caught 10 passes for 207 yards and a touchdown against Texas Tech.
Big East
It's been a frustrating season for Zach Collaros and Cincinnati, but things have gotten on track the past few weeks. The Bearcats' offense went off Friday night against Louisville, as Collaros threw for 275 yards and five touchdowns.
Cincinnati wideout Armon Binns finished that game with eight catches for 175 yards and three touchdowns, while teammate D.J. Woods added two scores for Cincinnati. Running back Isaiah Pead added 133 yards on the ground to provide balance for Butch Jones' team.
Pittsburgh steamrolled Syracuse Saturday as quarterback Tino Sunseri authored the best performance of his young career. He finished 17-of-24 for 266 yards and four touchdowns to lead Pitt to an impressive victory over the upstart Orange.
Louisville running back Bilal Powell absolutely shredded Cincinnati's struggling defense, rushing 24 times for 209 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Powell's numbers on the season are staggering: 898 yards and nine touchdowns rushing (7.81 yards per carry) while adding 109 yards and a touchdown as a receiver through six games.
Big Ten
Ricky Stanzi continues to show great improvement for Iowa. The quarterback threw three touchdowns against Michigan, giving him 15 total touchdowns to just two interceptions through six games. All of Stanzi's touchdown passes against Michigan went to wideout Derrell Johnson-Koulianos in what might have been the best performance of DJK's career.
Those two weren't the only Hawkeyes who rolled Saturday. Running back Adam Robinson once again was highly impressive, rushing for 143 yards and two scores and adding 61 yards receiving.
Elsewhere, John Clay helped Wisconsin upset top-ranked Ohio State by surpassing the 100-yard mark and rushing for two touchdowns. Electrifying freshman James White finished with 75 yards on the ground and also found the end zone for the Badgers.
Ben Chappell carried Indiana to a close win over Arkansas State Saturday, throwing for 382 yards and four touchdowns as the Hoosiers prepare for life without Darius Willis. Chappell now has 17 total touchdowns to just three interceptions.
Two of the Big Ten's other best quarterbacks struggled Saturday, however.
Michigan's Denard Robinson was forced to leave the game against Iowa after taking a hit in the third quarter, then watched as Tate Forcier nearly led a miracle comeback for the Wolverines. Terrelle Pryor's Heisman hopes took a big hit, as he struggled to throw the ball against Wisconsin Saturday and finished with less than 200 yards passing.
Conference USA
It was an unusually quiet fantasy week in Conference USA, but there were certainly a few standout performances.
Former Boston College quarterback Dominique Davis showcased his skills against ACC foe North Carolina
State on Saturday, throwing for over 376 yards and two touchdowns and adding a rushing touchdown to lead East Carolina to an upset win in overtime.
Elsewhere in C-USA, Southern Mississippi's Austin Davis threw three touchdowns to lead the Golden Eagles to an easy win over Memphis. Marcus Rucker had a huge game in the loss for the Tigers, finishing with four catches for 155 yards and two scores.
Two other wideouts with big games were Houston's Patrick Edwards and Tulsa's Damaris Johnson. Edwards totaled nine catches for 169 yards and three touchdowns as the Cougars let one get away against Rice. Johnson did his damage on the ground for Tulsa Saturday, rushing for 87 yards and two touchdowns against Tulane.
Donald Buckram continues to be perhaps the biggest disappointment in Conference USA, as the 2009 star runner had another unremarkable week for UTEP. He ran for just 38 yards on 11 carries against UAB and still hasn't scored this year.
Independents
Notre Dame's offense looked good Saturday in the win over Western Michigan, and quarterback Dayne Crist once again led the way. Crist threw three touchdowns to Michael Floyd and ran for another to help the Irish win. Floyd had what was his biggest game of the season, finishing with nine catches for 157 yards and the three scores in the game.
Elsewhere among the Independents in Week 7, Navy runner Alexander Teich scored a pair of touchdowns to help the Midshipmen defeat SMU. Army's duo of quarterback Trent Steelman and fullback Jared Hassin both went over 100 yards on the ground as both scored against Rutgers.
MAC
Chad Spann and Bernard Pierce led the way for the MAC's running backs in Week 7. Spann rushed for 111 yards and a touchdown as Northern Illinois crushed Buffalo, while Pierce carried 15 times for 106 yards and a touchdown as Temple survived a feverish comeback by Bowling Green.
Elsewhere in the MAC, Eastern Michigan quarterback Alex Gillett had one of the best performances in all of college football in Week 7. Gillett threw for 225 yards and three touchdowns and rushed 35 times for 189 yards and two scores to lead EMU to a thrilling win over Ball State.
Miami (OH)'s Zac Dysert also stood out among the quarterbacks, completing 29-of-47 passes for 399 yards and three touchdowns to lead the Redhawks to a win over Central Michigan.
Kamar Jorden continues to be the conference's star at wideout, catching 12 passes for 143 yards against Temple. His numbers were outdone by a breakout performance from Miami (OH) wideout Andrew Cruse, however, as Cruse caught eight passes for 179 yards and two scores against Central Michigan.
MWC
San Diego State has one of the best freshmen in the nation that nobody seems to be talking about. If running back Ronnie Hillman keeps piling up big numbers, that could soon change. He rushed for 191 yards and two touchdowns to lead San Diego State to a close win over Air Force Saturday, helping the Aztecs improve to 4-2 on the season.
Air Force's Asher Clark had another strong game, rushing for 116 yards and a score. His touches were limited as the Falcons were forced to take to the air while playing from behind. With Jared Tew expected to miss the remainder of the season, Clark should see increased carries moving forward.
TCU's running backs were held in check by BYU's defense, but quarterback Andy Dalton tossed four touchdowns to lead the Horned Frogs to another easy win.
Utah's Jordan Wynn overcame three interceptions to lead Utah's offense to a rout, as running back Matt Asiata went over 100 yards on the ground and fellow runner Eddie Wide found the end zone.
Colorado State runner Leonard Mason continues to be the conference's breakout star of the past two weeks. A week after erupting for 139 yards rushing against Air Force, Mason reeled off 121 yards and a touchdown on just 14 carries as the Rams blasted UNLV Saturday.
Pac-10
USC's defense isn't very strong this season, so it's a good thing Matt Barkley and the offense just keep producing huge numbers. Barkley completed 25-of-37 passes for 352 yards and five touchdowns to lead the Trojans to a rout over Cal in Los Angeles. Freshman wideout sensation Robert Woods caught seven passes for 116 yards and two touchdowns, and Ronald Johnson also hauled in a pair of touchdowns from Barkley.
Elsewhere in the Pac-10, Arizona's Nick Foles left with a knee injury to help open the door for the Wildcats' running backs to get more touches. Keola Antonin scored twice and Nic Grigsby scored once to help Arizona put down Washington State.
Quarterback Jake Locker and running back Jacquizz Rodgers squared off in a thrilling overtime contest between Washington and Oregon State. Locker got the better of Rodgers and the Beavers, accounting for five touchdowns. Rodgers finished with 189 yards of total offense and four scores for Oregon State.
SEC
Auburn's Cam Newton keeps running closer and closer towards the Heisman Trophy. Newton threw for 140 yards and a touchdown and rumbled for 188 yards and three scores on the ground to help Auburn light up the scoreboard in a win
After Arkansas quarterback Ryan Mallett left the same game with a concussion, Tyler Wilson stepped in and hardly missed a beat. Wilson completed 25-of-34 passes for 332 yards and four touchdowns, but threw a pair of interceptions late to seal the victory for Auburn.
Elsewhere in the SEC, wideout Randall Cobb and quarterback Mike Hartline led Kentucky to a thrilling comeback win over Steve Spurrier and South Carolina. Cobb totaled 100 yards from scrimmage and caught the game-winning touchdown pass from Hartline. The touchdown pass was Hartline's fourth in the game as he threw for 349 yards.
Cobb was actually the second-most productive Kentucky wideout on the day, however, as Chris Matthews caught a career-high 12 receptions for 177 yards and a touchdown.
Although Alshon Jeffery scored for South Carolina in that game, true freshman running back Marcus Lattimore was once again the big star of the offense. Lattimore totaled 212 yards from scrimmage and scored three times in the game
Alabama's Trent Richardson broke things open for the sluggish Tide offense by scoring on an 85-yard screen pass against Mississippi. Teammate Mark Ingram was a non-factor, finishing with just 60 yards rushing in the game.
Sun Belt
Quarterback Ryan Aplin nearly led his Arkansas State team to an upset over Indiana Saturday, accounting for four touchdowns and helping the Red Wolves hang with the Hoosiers in a thrilling final quarter of play.
Elsewhere in the Sun Belt, Middle Tennessee quarterback Dwight Dasher didn't fare very well against Georgia Tech. Dasher ran for two touchdowns, but was intercepted four times as Middle Tennessee State lost big. Dasher hasn't looked good since returning from suspension.
Although his Hilltoppers suffered their 26th loss in a row, Bobby Rainey continues to be a very bright spot for Western Kentucky. He almost single-handedly kept the Hilltoppers in the game in the 30-35 loss to Louisiana-Monroe, taking 32 carries for 169 yards and two touchdowns. Rainey has 771 yards and seven touchdowns on the ground through six games.
WAC
The bane of the Boise State football program, the strength of schedule measurement, landed another blow to the Broncos' national championship hopes as Hawaii upset the 19th-ranked Nevada Wolf Pack. Suddenly, the November 26th matchup between Boise and the Pack doesn't look so marquee.
If the Broncos are looking for a culprit, they can point the finger at Hawaii quarterback Bryant Moniz. He threw for 287 yards and three touchdowns in the game. His two main partners in crime, wideouts Greg Salas and Kealoha Pilares, combined for 19 catches for 220 yards and two touchdowns.
Or maybe the Broncos should direct their anger towards the Hawaii defense, which held Nevada quarterback Colin Kaepernick to just 30 yards on the ground while forcing two interceptions. The Warriors even held Nevada runner Vai Taua under 100 yards on the ground while keeping him out of the end zone.
When it came to handling their own affairs, however, Boise State was entirely in control against San Jose State. Quarterback Kellen Moore completed 14-of-16 passes for 231 yards and two touchdowns in limited action, and Titus Young totaled 105 yards and one score as a receiver while running for another touchdown.